Pichwai Art

 

Pichwai are colourful and intricate works of art date back to the 16th century (400 years old) by Vallabhacharya .These are cloth paintings hung behind the image of the Hindu god Shrinathji (Krishnaji). Pichwai art is also known as Nathdwara art .Nathdwara is a holy town in the Udaipur district of the Indian state of Rajasthan .The artists live mostly in Chitron ki gali (Street of paintings) and Chitrakaron ka mohallah (colony of painters) and are a close community with constant interaction. Often a pichhwai painting is a group effort, where several skilful painters work together under the supervision of a master artist.

Pichwai catches the devotees eyes instantly. The word Pichwai derives from the Sanskrit words pich meaning back and wai meaning hanging. This is the main reason behind the paintings are hung behind the god Shrinathji. Each pichwai painting is considered as a seva or an offering to the shrinathji and hence represents Shrinathji as a prince with jewels and luxuries, surrounded by the milkmaids gwalas and gopis. These seva themes are based on Krishna in different moods, body postures,.seasons and festivals .And thus paintings are made to depict different moods of the seasons and festivals celebrated. It is a very ancient form of art passed on from generation to generation and it has a very devotional theme towards Lord Krishna.

 The making of a traditional Pichwai art consumes a couple of weeks or months.Originally it  was painted on cotton fabric. The artisans sketch the art on that starched cloth.After that they painted it with completely organic and natural colors, paints and even natural brushes. These colors were obtained from coals indigo, gold, silver saffron, zinc, and other natural sources .The bright and intense colors like yellow, green, black, red dominate the Pichwai. The ornate part would get the pure Gold as color. The borders are enhanced with crystals and other decorative elements.Also Shrinathji's image is given special features like a big nose, large eyes, and fat belly. The distinct features and expressions of the diety's face radiate the pleasant and divine feelings.

To make Pichwai prominent for today, the artist has contemporized the artform without compromising its traditional touch. Pichwais traditionally was expansive as they were hung behind the deity but as time passed by the size of the paintings started reducing. Also, the colors are no longer pure organic. Due to the budget and time constraints and the unavailability of natural dyes, artists now use either synthetic or the mixture of synthetic and natural colors. Also, the paper is used as an alternative instead of cotton fabric. A Pichwai now belongs everywhere. Because of their beauty and brilliance, Pichwais are now also hung on house walls and other places and are no longer restricted to the temples. Hence, the artists are now making paintings of smaller proportions, which are sutaible for the smaller homes of today. Apart from this, Pichwai art is now being used on clothes such as saree and various artistic home decor items with vibrant colours including hand-woven tapestries which have received good response from the customers. There has also been a push by other artists and designers to preserve and showcase this art form to a wide. Designers have utilised the traditional colours, printing techniques and pattern styles associated pichhwai, in clothing attires and showcase them on international platforms such as Lakme Fashion Week.

Pichhwai have become the main export of Nathdwara and are in much demand among foreign visitors.

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